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Gloster Gladiator.....finished :)


mozart

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48 minutes ago, dennismcc said:

Now that is really fine work, love it

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

Thanks Dennis, ICM have got this kit absolutely spot on in almost every respect, the fragile empennage possibly being the exception, though it could be my ham-fistedness that's the issue!

 

38 minutes ago, Wackyracer said:

Brilliant build, thoroughly enjoying it. makes me want to start my pair.

You should, the build is straightforward and yet satisfying.  My "satisfaction benchmark" is Silver Wings kits......the Gladiator is far far simpler but equally rewarding.  As I've mentioned previously, I'm seriously considering a Gauntlet conversion or least another Gladiator which would include the AIMS engine.

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S'rnt Smith is much happier now he's got his proper seat belts fitted:

 

C26p4V.jpg

 

The idea of using stretched sprue for the cabane struts didn't work because I hadn't drilled the holes at the right angle, so it's back to Prym.  Here's a reason why you shouldn't add the engine yet!

 

hrbQqj.jpg

 

Once the Prym is secured to its underwing position, the other end is threaded through the hole in the fuselage and a "self clamping" tweezer put into the nose aperture until it locates the Prym (a torch helps!), then tensioned and hey presto!!  Took 10 minutes to do all four.

 

So she's looking quite dandy now:

 

O9zZLJ.jpg

 

with just a little tidying up to do from the traumas of rigging:

 

jG9m52.jpg

 

Working to get the tailplane sorted now, though I'm not happy with the pitot tube, think I may have to make another since it's been bent a few times.

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I'm not quite sure what ICM were thinking about when they made the construction of the prop with these two pieces C1 as separate items rather than having the whole thing moulded as one.  They weren't a great fit and despite trimming and lots of test fitting I was still left with filling and sanding:

 

EFXBB9.jpg

 

It's been primed and has a top coating of Ocean Grey:

 

d1pM6Y.jpg

 

I'm trying to get some kind of interpretation of this 56 squadron Gladiator:

 

R0HOFT.jpg

 

I think it's going to be something along these lines:

 

7wPGKO.jpg

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I guess ICM couldn’t mould the prop in one piece because the central boss is too voluminous compared to the blades. In plastic injection process, it’s best to have more or less the same thickness all over  to avoid the dreaded sink holes.

 

I had no problem with my prop. Just a little bit of soul-searching before reaching for the glue. B)

 

EAD4-A00-D-44-BA-41-D9-B294-1-FF3-EEBB0-


A30602-F5-BB68-42-CE-8-B60-BE4676311-F2-


5-D82-D2-B0-01-D2-4-D4-B-9154-4336-F23-F

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The Gladiator is iconic especially as one of the very few British fighters of WWII with a radial engine. I might even get one for that reason.

But I'd really prefer its contemporary, a Hawker Fury.

Providing Special Hobby and Fly's plans pay off, it means we could have a run from the Fury to the Sea Fury for Hawker prop fighters.

The post-war Hawker jet fighter line from Sea Hawk to Hawk still has some holes that need filling with good, modern tooled kits.

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16 hours ago, quang said:


Aah the lost art of stretching sprues!

The rigging went exceptionally well, Max. Your method will be the guide for many greenhorns.
I must have missed it along the way but what did you use for rigging lines and where can I can find it?
 

Cheers,

Q

 

 

Not so much lost as grown more limited in its uses Q!

 

Now that we have cyano glues, nylon bristles and wire provide alternatives that are a lot less fragile than what we once had to accept with stretched sprue.

Although I'll readily concede at the time it was indispensable, now it tends to be a bit fragile. So much so  I can't recall the last time I used it, other than to heatform

the ends into balls for custom light lenses (the only way to get that tell-tale inverted reflection) and throttle handles.

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